1) I'm back. You didn't even know I was gone did you? Mrs. 3 and I packed up the kids and went to Darien Lake for a few days and we just got back tonight. We had a blast and let me tell you I met some really nice people down there - especially the guy from Syracuse NY who gave me a jump start after I accidentally left the electric cooler on in the 4ever3 family-truckster for 12.5 hours.
2) Thank-you all for your response to my previous post. I was overwhelmed by your support of my wearing my Dale Sr stuff to the race, but I still haven't decided who to cheer for. Some of you provided good sound reasons to cheer for certain teams, but we'll see. I'll check to see if Boris Said is on the entry list - I'll cheer for him if he is there.
3) Here is my rant:
I just read this a few minutes ago and I'm really ticked off about it:
"Johnson said American-based sponsors appealing to consumers in a French-speaking country could present potential barriers." - Raygan Swan, NASCAR.COM
Hello Jimmie, (or did Raygan misquote you - after reading the article I think she may have) last time I checked Canada was an ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRY! Yes we do have two official languages, with French being the other language, but let me tell you it is English that dominates. Do a little research next time. Unless you think Quebec is a country - it is not. It is a Province, with a political make-up similar to a State in your country.
Also, Montreal is a predominately English Speaking city. I've been to Montreal several times (as well as other parts of the 'country' of Quebec), and the only French I can speak is; "It is cold outside and the car won't start. Can you call the garage for me?" as well as "Hello". Each time I've been to Quebec I've never had a problem with speaking English only, and the people have been great. So much for that theory.
As far as getting sponsors for NASCAR races in Canada, ... hmm ... let me see, I shop at Home Depot, and will shop at Lowes when it soon opens (next month I think), I drink Budweiser, Miller Lite, Pepsi, and Coke (only if I have to), get car parts at NAPA and Car Quest, eat Kellogg's and Cheerios, worked for Dupont for a summer job while I was in University, drink Crown Royal and Jack Daniels occasionally, ship certain packages through either UPS or FedEx, drink Red Bull, see CAT machines at construction sites (never operated one though), my kids eat Snickers and M&M's, I shop at Best Buy (got my I-Pod there), Office Depot and Bass Pro Shops (and I hear that Target is building a store near here to compete with the 4 Wal-Marts), I worked at Shell all through High School and University and turned down the offer from Shell to run my own station so I could go to Teacher's College, I own Dewalt, Craftsmen, Snap On and Mac tools (sorry no Huskey or Kobalt - but I could buy them here), Waste Management empties the dumpsters at my work, I have a GMAC lease for my 4ever3 Family-Truckster otherwise known as a Montana, I have Texaco Havoline, Pennzoil, Valvoline, and Quaker State oil in my garage for my cars (I buy whatever is on sale - I don't discriminate), I have an AAA membership (only in Canada it is called CAA), I ate pizza from Domino's the other night followed by a Little Debbie cake and had Burger King the week before (my wife actually worked at Burger King in High School), I had an Interstate Battery in my old car before I sold it (should have kept it, but I digress), and finally I can buy either a Dodge, Ford, GM, or Toyota here in this country - in fact we make them here too.
We have a little economic treaty with your country and Mexico called NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), perhaps you've heard of it? It is because of this treaty that our economies, and the companies (like those above mentioned sponsors) that drive these economies, are so inter-connected.
Hey wait a minute I just thought of something: based on the above quote I guess that since Louisiana is a French speaking state, NASCAR won't be able to find sponsors that will work for there either.
